Roguelike legend Edmund McMillen crammed 200 Simpsons-inspired intros into his new strategy game Mewgenics, and I'm ashamed I didn't notice sooner: "There's like 200 couch gags"

Mewgenics collars — (Image credit: Edmund McMillen, Tyler Glaiel)

Mewgenics' intro was inspired by The Simpsons, with over 200 variations of the cartoon's intro playing when you boot up the game.

In the 100+ hours I've collected over the last month on 2026's highest-rated game Mewgenics, I began to notice its intro cutscene is slightly different whenever I start it up. It somehow took me even longer to realize the intro was effectively a parody of The Simpsons, with its title appearing into the sky before flying through the town of Boon County – but I never put the obvious two and two together and realized the different intros themselves are a Simpsons gag.

McMillen confirms, "It's The Simpsons, and the couch gag was the initial reason – like, I wanted a different outcome every time." He also confirms "there's, like, 200 couch gags."

MEWGENICS WITH EDMUND MCMILLEN - YouTube

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Mewgenics' intro opens up with gravestones of McMillen and co-creator Tyler Glaiel, which, depending on the intro you get, can be different shapes, sizes, and even have graffiti on them (the first time I noticed this was when "FAT" was written on McMillen's grave). At the end of the intro, when Dr. Beansies is tinkering with a cat, you'll also see a variation of a cat – it could have multiple heads, be dead, be red, be anything you can dream of.

McMillen added that Glaiel pushed back on the different opening sequences a bit, saying, "'No one's going to know, they're never going to watch it a second time,' and he's right." He is right. McMillen adds that he randomized everything else in these opening scenes, and even background characters can change up, too. In hindsight, this all makes me feel real daft for not realizing one of my favorite TV series ever was being blatantly referenced by what will likely be my Game of the Year for 2026.

I put my 100 hours to good use to bring you helpful guides like Mewgenics collar guide and what happens when you savescum in Mewgenics. Please read them or they'll stop feeding me.